You belong with me
by stevieLUVSAlex
Summary: What if Elliot had another identity... another life? Would Fate still bring him and Olivia together... find out in this awesome AU... give it a shot. It's worth it. :
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This may be a weird one. I saw the movie CARRIERS and I am a fan of CHRIS MELONI and only watched this movie when I found out that he was cast as Frank. It wasn't until the end of this movie, when I turned to my friend and said "what happened to Frank?" that she regretfully informed me that he had died. I refused to believe it. He walked away with his child, but you never saw him again. I am a vivid watcher of SVU and am sorely in love with Chris… in my stories, he NEVER dies, and this shall be NO different. In the movie, there was no signs of infection from Frank… this is why I came up with this._

_Enjoy… :)_

Frank Holloway had watched his daughter for days before he finally smothered her with a pillow, ending the slow agonizing death that lay in her immediate future. She had been gasping for air, her breathing had become shallow, and the heartbreaking look when she asked him, "Daddy, can I die now?" he finally took it upon himself to take her life. Not that Jodie Holloway had much of a life at that stage, and he had more than given up on the fairytale of finding an antidote to save her. He didn't understand how over the course of Jodie's flu, and as many times as she'd coughed blood on him, he hadn't managed to catch the disease. Everyone in the world who had been touched, had been contaminated, had died in the course of a week, everyone except Frank.

The horror of his actions haunted him every time he closed his eyes. The struggle that his child made, as he placed the pillow over her pale and blood stained face, the image burned into his brain, stubbornly refusing to let go. His supplies were next to nothing. He had very little food, and even less water, stranded in a place alone, only the flow of piled dead bodies in a building close by.

Frank buried her in the dirt, determined to give her a traditional burial, she would not be just another body piled on another. Jodie was his daughter, his eight year old child, and as his heart tugged grievingly wishing that it were him instead, he covered her over with the soil in his hand. Sobbing breathlessly as he whispered, "I love you, princess."

Frank had a ray of hope, before all this, before he had no other options. He had been thrown together by Fate, with four other teenagers, who had found their way to the road where he was located, where his four-wheel-drive had run out of gas. Fate had maneuvered things, so that they travelled together, the six of them, until they hit the one town, where hope lay.

Frank had heard that an antidote had been made, a cure, for the flu that his daughter was dying from. But when they arrived, the rumors were laid to rest, as were the swarm of bodies that lay dying or dead in the building. Hope was gone. Jodie had panicked, needing the bathroom. Frank had asked her to go alone, knowing full well that the teenagers had no moral sense, no compassion, heartless, vile, adolescents they were in their last days. Jodie couldn't walk. Frank knew that once he walked away from the car, they'd drive away, but his daughter came first. He would do anything for her, even leave himself without options.

As he predicted, as he took his child to the bathroom, the teenagers drove away, leaving him alone in a town without supplies. But he had managed to find some food and water, very little, and he knew that soon enough it would run out. He gave it to Jodie, as much as she needed before he mercifully killed her.

As he pulled his knees to his chest, sobbing for the life he had taken, he felt hopeless. Who knew how many miles away the next town was, or if it was even worth the trip, what supplies he would even find if any.

It took him another 12 hours, after burying his child, to pick himself up off the ground and walk, with the little supplies he had left.

The first few hours left him drained, the next few, exhausted, and after that, his feet ached and his head and heart hurt. He dragged his feet across the cemented road. He had no will to go on, no desire to live, no hope of a happy ending, but he wasn't going to let this epidemic flu beat his entire family. It had killed his wife, Bindi, the previous week. But he had his daughter to survive, he had a purpose. The only solace he had in this situation was the belief that both his wife and child were at peace.

The sound of a motor behind him was music to his ears.

_Reviews would be WONDERFUL… I could really use anything you offer… was it good, was it worth the read, was it realistic… ANYTHING you got. _

_I'll post the next chapter when I get a review or two to tell me you want more…_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I know the last chapter was sad… but hopefully you liked it enough to read more. *bites nails nervously* Go ahead… it's alright… _

Frank turned on his heel, only to find that the sound of a motor had been a fabrication. There had been no passing motorist, no people to rescue him, no other diseased beings walking around and waiting for their time to die. He wasn't even sure how many survivors were left in the world, let alone in the same vicinity that he was.

With a heavy heart, he dragged his feet along the pavement.

He thought of Bindi, his wife, the mother of his child. She had given her last dying wish to save her daughter, by not contaminating her with a kiss, a touch, anything that might risk the life of the young eight-year-old. But it had been in vain, for Jodie had died anyway. Bindi had not been as lucky in the way of death; it had been unbearably slow, and evidently painful, as Frank had watched on in hopelessness. He was careful not to make the same mistake, when he knew Jodie had no options of survival, it was just a matter of time.

He wished he had been as merciful with his wife.

Now, Frank was alone.

His food was the first to run out, his water not too far behind. He was parched when he reached his first town, several days after his beginning. It was a deathly silent as he walked through the quiet streets, his eyes scanning for any trace of life.

Frank remained there for a whole day, exhausted, dehydrated and unable to walk another mile.

As he sat sheltered from the sun, his eyes closed, he found himself losing the will to move. It might be better if he allowed himself to die. He was without family, having watched both his wife and child perish. He was alone in the world, without hope, without comfort, without the will to survive.

The sound of muffled chatter caused his eyes to snap open. He listened hard.

"How the hell do I know?" a male voice barked.

"Don't yell at me…" a female responded.

He looked around, waiting to find someone, but expecting to come up empty. He wouldn't be surprised if he had been hallucinating, out here in the heat, without food and water, alone and grieving. He'd be worried if he wasn't nuts.

But he was mildly surprised when two young, familiar people turned to corner, making themselves visible. It was Danny and Kate, two of the younger members who had left him and his daughter alone at the abandon building.

Anger rose in his throat, and he found his body suddenly gaining unexpected strength as he stood to face them. He crossed the road, a veil of red across his eyes. He wanted justice for his daughter. He wanted to hurt someone else, the way he was hurting. Danny was just as surprised to see him, as he was to see Danny.

"You're alive!" he gasped.

Frank shot his hand out to grip the material of Danny's shirt and forced him to back up, raising his feet slightly from the ground as the bitter grieving took charge.

"No thanks to you, and your friends you piece of s*!" he barked.

Danny eyes grew fearful, only for an instant, more out of the element of surprise than fearing his safety.

"I know we stuffed up," Danny exclaimed. "But we couldn't risk everyone's life! Your kid was dying already… it didn't save her, did it?" he challenged.

A flash of Jodie's last breath, tensed Frank even more, as he gripped harder to Danny's shirt. "I oughta kill you here, RIGHT NOW. You left an eight-year-old child to die… what kind of person are you?" he roared.

Danny shook his head. "Brain wouldn't stay," he muttered. "I told him we couldn't leave. He would have left without me if I didn't get in the car," he explained frantically. The expression on his face was full of horror.

Frank pulled a face. "Oh, poor little boy, with so little options," his voice, dripping with sarcasm. Frank was beyond rational at this point.

"Leave him alone!" Kate stated fiercely.

Frank turned his head to meet her eyes. "You pathetic little girl." he scoffed. "How would you have felt? An eight-year-old child suffering and you all run away!"

Kate didn't even blink. She was without a conscious. When push came to shove, when it was a matter of her life verses another, she had no emotion, no empathy, no compassion. Her own selfishness and fear causing her actions to grow into egotistical choices.

They were so cold and heartless, and so young.

Frank released the boy, throwing his strength into one single shove. He stumbled backwards, his expression full of relief and he regained his footing. He straightened his shirt and cleared his throat.

A realization crossed Danny's face. "You're still alive?"

Frank laughed bitterly. "So it seems…

"How?" he sighed. The epidemic had killed everyone it touched, how was he still standing there, breathing?

Frank shrugged. "You got me…"


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I know everyone is waiting for Olivia… she's coming… just give me a bit to set up the story, and until then enjoy =)_

Frank stood still, his eyes locked on Danny's, neither one understanding how it was at all possible that Frank was breathing, and aside from the lack of physical substance, and pained from grieving, he was in relatively good health.

"You were touching her ALL the time?" Danny pointed out.

"Yeah, I was…"

"Did you get treated?" Danny questioned, wide-eyed.

"Nuh," he denied. "No antidote, remember, I'm just the same as you… travelling to find a way to survive."

Danny shook his head in denial. He didn't believe it. "Your body is freakin' freaky, man!"

"I won't be dying anytime soon," he shrugged indifferently. It seemed like the perfect justice, to wave immortality in front of an already frightened man, who knew that at any moment he would suffer the same fate as the rest of the world. It finally occurred to Frank that Danny and Kate were alone. "Where's the rest of the A-team?" he questioned.

"Dead," he answered with conviction.

"You sure?"

Danny shrugged. "We left Bobby on the side of the road. She risked our lives… she didn't care about us getting infected, so we didn't care about her."

"You left her too?"

Danny shrugged not denying the accusation.

"You're good at that aren't you," he responded bitterly. "What about your brother?"

"Brian's dead. I shot him."

There was darkness that flooded his eyes when he said that, a pain that Frank knew all too well. They had something in common, an understanding of what it was like to carry the death of someone on your conscious, and not just anyone, not just a stranger, but a loved one.

"He was infected?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, he was dying, because your frickin' diseased kid contaminated us all!" he barked.

Frank's lips curled into a frown as he mentally consoled himself. He hadn't the strength to fight him.

"Let's not go in circles here," Kate suggested. "None of us are contaminated, isn't that enough?"

"That doesn't make a difference," Frank said throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "We are in some strange deserted town, without supplies… the world is dying, if not dead, what the hell does it matter how many circles we get into?"

"I'm not staying here!" Kate stated.

"Like you have so many other appealing options?" Frank laughed. "What happened to my car?"

Kate lowered her head.

"Ran out of gas…" Danny offered.

Frank nodded. It had lasted longer than he ever anticipated, like some miracle it had supplied them with double the gas it should have, even when they had loaded petrol from abandoned cars, what little they found there. "How far you'd get?" he asked out of pure curiosity.

"To the beach…"

"Not as good as you remembered, huh?" he challenged.

Danny rolled his eyes.

"See that's what I discovered," Frank told him. "When you lose your family, you might as well be dead too. Nothing matters… no place you need to be… no people worth wondering for…"

"So why did you wonder?" Danny argued. "We didn't leave you here!"

Frank shrugged. "I was bored…"

The three of them said nothing for a long time, as they sat on the cemented ground of the town that had no name, lost in their own thoughts of survival and need.

Kate was the first one to break the silence, as she stood from her position on the earth. "I'm not staying here. I have hope. My parents are out there, and I'm going home…" she said with conviction.

Danny smiled. "They're dead, Kate!"

"I'll find that out when I get there. But I'm going," she stated. "You two can follow, or you can stay here and die… it doesn't matter to me either way." She turned on her heels and started up the road.

Frank watched her take a few steps before he looked at Danny. "Gonna follow her?"

Danny hesitated. "Are you?"

He shrugged. "Got nothin' else to do to pass the time until we die."

"I thought you didn't have the disease?" Danny questioned skeptically.

"No supplies, no water, no food…" Frank scoffed. "What the hell you learn in school, _Danny_?"

"Whatever!"

The two men stood and wondered endlessly up the road.

_ANY reviews are good… even if you think this story is LAME and you want me to stop, POST the review… then at least I know I'm wasting my time. =)_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I am bringing Olivia Benson in VERY soon, for those who are waiting… =)_

Frank didn't expect to find anyone in this district and so he and his minute group didn't even look out for other beings, it was a waste of time and energy as far as they were concerned. Frank walked a few paces in front of Danny and kept looking at Kate, as if to make sure she was still alive and breathing. Despite the horror of the past week's events, his protectiveness to woman hadn't changed all that much. He was still the alpha male, as far as he saw it. Danny was still so much a boy, regardless of his experiences.

"What?" Kate snapped. She was a feisty one, and Frank wasn't sure she even liked her all that much, how could someone so young and scared leave behind a father and a child, thought Frank reasoned, she was still so much a child herself.

"Nothin'," Frank shrugged.

"Then stop looking at me!" she demanded. "I still wouldn't have sex with you, if you and I end up being the only humans remaining on earth!"

Frank turned away in disgust. She was a child, he wasn't interested in touching her, and what little feeling he had left for her vanished then, and he focused solely on pulling one foot in front of the other. But the actions of walking left him exhausted and he needed a distraction.

"What happened to you, Kate?" he asked making conversation. "What brought you together with the others?"

"None of your business!" she glared angrily, stepping up her pace.

"Gotta kill time somehow," he shrugged indifferently. "Might as well amuse me… and keep from thinking about no supplies and very little means of survival. Where do you come from?"

"Alabama," she answered.

"That's a long way from here…"

"What isn't?" she shot back.

Danny walked a few steps behind then, lost in his own memories of his brother and her girlfriend, and how quick life had been taken and how easily his could vanish too. He had a car, he had a means of transport, he had gotten to the beach and it had all been for nothing. It didn't make him feel better, the memories he had expected to find there, had died with his brother.

"Where's your family?"

"Alabama," she said.

"You travelled with friends?" Frank guessed.

Kate took a while to answer.

"My parents could still be alive… I just need a working phone," she said more to herself than to him.

"If that's what keeps you surviving, why not?" he reasoned. He didn't see the harm in holding on to something, anything that would give them the strength to fight for life.

"What keeps you surviving?" she asked a moment later.

"Talking," he said simply. "I can't think too much. I need to keep myself busy, and my feet hurt, if I focus on that I'll give up."

"But you lost your kid, what do you have left… a wife?"

"Nuh, she died last week."

"From the…" she couldn't even bring herself to say it.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Sorry," she said. Her voice was unsympathetic and uncompassionate, it was simply said impassively, maybe to pass time. Frank understood that no one else cared about his family, that that burden was his to carry alone. Each of them carrying their own load of pain, their own burden that made it all the more difficult to fight.

Frank shrugged.

"When was the last time you saw your parents?" he asked.

"A month ago," she said. "I ran away from home…"

"Why?"

"I was sick of their rules, they wanted to keep me like a caged bird, untouched by anything or anyone… isn't that the irony?" she laughed bitterly.

Frank nodded. "I guess so. Now you want to go home?"

"I'll willingly abide by their rules, if they ever talk to me again…"

"Parents do," Frank assured her. "There's nothing their child could do that would make 'em turn away. Love over powers everything."

"What's love in this world?" she asked.

He turned to look at her.

She shrugged. "It doesn't exist. Look at Brian, what he did to Bobby, and what Danny and I did to him… people only care about themselves," she stated.

"Not everyone. I loved my daughter!" he said with conviction.

"You're alone in that," she said coldly.

"I guess I am," he responded. Frank wasn't going to become like them, he was determined to leave this life a good man, giving the best that God gave him.

"Holy hell!" Danny's voice boomed loudly, causing Frank and Kate to stop and look. "I think I see someone…"

Frank tensed, bracing himself for what lay ahead. Were they contaminated or wondering the district in the same vain hope that they were?

As they walked further, Frank saw that it was a woman.

_Enter OLIVIA… =) happy now? _

_Want the next chapter? Okay… reviews are nice too… =)_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: A package arrived today for me… _**SVU season 11**_. YAY for E/O shippers, especially in the episode P.C… I'd have to say that episode was pretty darn perfect. "I think he has the hot's for you… Elliot Stabler!" "Uh, er… no, that's uh, that's never gonna happen!" OH honey, turn around and look at the man… hehehe… YES, I love E&O… who wouldn't?_

_And so I bring you the next chapter… =)_

As the woman approached, the anxiety grew into fear.

"STOP!" Danny called out using his hand as a shield, as if that would save him. "Don't come any closer! Hold up your hands!" he ordered.

The woman looked surprised, but made no move to do as he said.

"NOW!" Danny roared.

The woman stood there, unmoving, before she daringly moved her hand into her jacket to reveal a badge. "I'm a police officer… I'm Detective Olivia Benson… I heard there was an outbreak here…"

"Are you contaminated?" Kate demanded.

Olivia shook her head. "No, I'm not."

"Why aren't you wearing a mask?" Frank asked suddenly mesmerized by her. There was something about her that he was drawn to, a personality trait, the way she looked them over with such confidence, unafraid of what the future held. In this moment, when the world was running scared, she was calm and collected. Frank was fascinated by that… by her.

Olivia turned to look at him for the first time, suddenly noticing his presence. Their eyes met, and locked, Frank felt his insides twist; similar to the way it had happened when he'd first met his wife, Bindi. It had been love at first sight then… but this feeling was something differently entirely, this was overwhelming. Overpowering.

"Hello," she whispered across the road.

Frank smiled. "Hi."

Kate rolled her eyes, watching the interaction for only a moment. "Right, moving on from the love fest the two of you have managed to find yourselves in… what the hell are you doing here?" she asked Olivia.

Olivia cleared her throat, moving her eyes from Frank, to focus on the girl.

"I have been ordered to come and collect you…" she explained.

"What?" Frank shook his head. "How is that- the world is in chaos, the… people are dying all around us, and you want to-"

Olivia shot him a sympathetic smile. "It's not the whole world… it's just the area, a few connected towns. The epidemic flu has killed everyone it's going to. We are still unsure of why the three of you were not contaminated. You all look malnourished; we'll fix that as soon as we reach my car. We are going to have to subject you to some standard tests when we get back to New York… I'm from New York."

Kate watched her suspiciously. "How did you find us?"

"We got an anonymous call to the precinct, and I was called to come out…" she shrugged.

Frank didn't care what her reasons were, all he could think about was how beautiful she was, and the fact that she was rescuing him. It seemed backwards as he smiled at the idea, wasn't it supposed to be the man who saved the Damsel in distress? He stepped toward her.

Olivia smiled. "You'll come without a fight?"

Frank shrugged. "I got nowhere else to be right now," he said.

She nodded, before turning her attention to Kate and Danny. "You two coming? It's a bit of a walk to my SUV!" she explained.

They all dragged their feet, hope surging through each of them, like wildfire.

They were saved.

_Is this tacky? I don't know, I thought it was plausible. The movie didn't give TOO much in the way of details as far as HOW the disease started spreading… or exactly how far it was. And as for E/O well, I will make them come together for those interested… care to review, are you interested in another chapter… =)_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This goes out to redorchid23 who is possibly the ONLY person reading this. =)).**

Olivia had a few minutes alone with Frank, when the others two went to use the restroom at the petrol station. She turned to him, her eyes scanning his face, making him squirm uncomfortably. "Are you okay?" her voice was gentle, soothing and he couldn't help thinking she was incredibly beautiful.

He cleared his throat, aware that his palms were sweaty. It seemed ludicrous that he was thinking of the way some woman made him feel when he had barely buried his daughter, and he had been at death's door… or so he'd thought. "I'm fine," he muttered.

"We'll get you counseling when we reach New York," she told him.

"I don't need no shrink," he stated.

"It's standard procedure," she explained. "It's not reflection on the way you did or didn't handle this, Frank."

"Whatever," he sighed heavily leaning back in the seat beside her. He could smell her perfume. He hadn't smelt something so heavenly in weeks, ever since the epidemic had filled the town's people with fear. He shifted in his seat, moving closer to her, welcoming the scent but not her.

Frank was confused. A lot had happened over the past few weeks, and it wasn't something that was going to easily leave his mind, or his heart. He could understand if Olivia thought he was somewhat ungrateful for what she had done, from the outside, he would have thought that too. But he had too much going on in his head, to consider his attitude problem.

He thought about his daughter, and he clenched his fists. Why hadn't she survived? He felt guilty that he was alive, and she was dead. His heart hurt.

"Listen, I know what happened back there…" she said gently.

His eyes snapped up to hers. "What?"

"I found the grave, and I just pieced it together," she said carefully.

"I don't want to talk about this," he stated. "My daughter's dead. I don't want to discuss it with you, or anyone else. Okay?"

She nodded. "I understand," she shifted her eyes to the floor.

He sighed heavily, feeling like a jerk. "I'm sorry, it's just-"

"I don't know why, but I feel this connection to you, like I know you… It' sounds crazy, I know, but I wish I could help you. It's like I know what it looks like when you smile, and I just can't fathom the idea that you look so unhappy." She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, I probably sound like a crazy person… and that's the last thing you need right now."

She looked away from him.

His eyes scanned her face as she tried to keep it hidden. She was beautiful, and she was obviously smart. And he felt something. He wasn't sure what it was… but it was definitely something. "Liv, I-" the way the name rolled off his tongue made him stop talking.

She smiled at him. "No one else calls me that."

"I will," he offered. He stared at her a moment. "Do I know you? Have we met before?"

"I don't know… maybe," she said meeting his ice-blue eyes.

There was something between them, and whatever it was, it was powerful.

"Liv…" he whispered.

"Yes," she smiled shyly.

"I haven't asked you."

"You didn't need to," she said. "I know what you were gonna say, and the answer's yes. I will go out with you. But first, recognize that you've been through hell and-"

"The best way to get over it is to keep busy. I don't dwell in it," he explained.

She winced.

"What's wrong?"

"I think you've said that before… somewhere else… another time… another place."

He nodded. "Maybe," he only stared at her.

_**I am going to finish it there. So that you get the idea that no matter what… they were meant to be together… in some other life… whatever! I want you to then decide if it worked in their favor or if it was just the trauma talking… =)). Hope you liked it, thanks for reading!**_

_**Reviews would be nice! *bats eyelashes***_

_**BTW, this was supposed to be SOOOOOOOOO OOC!**_


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